Cell Tower Backup Plan...denied.

The FCC is always looking for ways to improve the quality of service for the millions of customers who are using their wireless phones in the United States. They also want to protect the customers from any harms, but that's besides the point.

The FCC sent in a Cell Tower Backup plan which would require every U.S. wireless carrier to improve their wireless towers to have at least 8 hours of emergency backup power, in the case of an emergency. Let's think back to Hurricane Katrina, where only Verizon Wireless and Alltel had coverage.

This plan was hit hard by the CTIA when they decided to sue the FCC to stop their plan. The CTIA was not given any opportunity to discuss this matter before it was sent into the White House, where it was also rejected by the White House's Office of Management and Budget. The CTIA had received their wish. This plan will not continue any further.

Many wireless carriers claim they already have emergency disaster plans intact. AT&T had no response on this issue. In line of defense, here are the most disaster prepared carriers (in order of most to least):

Verizon Wireless (using their Cells on Wheels/Cells on Light Trucks)

Alltel (using Verizon's disaster plan...due to the large roaming agreement)

Sprint PCS (fast techs)

AT&T (not a large disaster plan)

T-Mobile (relies on universal technicians, like myself)

Let's think back to hurricane Katrina. If the FCC had a plan in tact like this, the overall disaster could have been less. People would have had a larger chance of being able to use their cellular phone. Verizon Wireless has always had automatic generators to power towers for 24 hours. So has Alltel. Verizon Wireless also has their Cells On Wheels (COWs) and Cells On Light Trucks (COLTs) which are first responders. Sprint has generators, but they are portable from site to site, which slows down the response.